Uehara said following the game that he had felt something prior to throwing the pitch that struck out Belt.
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The 41-year-old Japanese righty has a 4.50 ERA and 1.03 WHIP, 12 holds and six saves for the Red Sox this year. Seven pitches later, he exited clutching his right arm and “praying” he hadn’t suffered a serious injury.
Uehara moved back into the closer role when Craig Kimbrel landed on the disabled list with a knee injury.
“It’s just some soreness that I feel”, he said.
John Farrell on Joe Kelly’s transition to bullpen: “That is going as we could have hoped”: ‘”He was very strong”, Red Sox manager John Farrell said. He’ll nearly certainly get the call to return to a ninth-inning role if this setback forces Uehara to miss time. After his first pitch to former MVP Buster Posey, Uehara began rubbing the right side of his chest and left the mound at Boston’s Fenway Park.
The Red Sox – 52-39 and a half-game back of the Orioles – don’t know how long Uehara will be sidelined and now turn to Plan C: Likely setup man Brad Ziegler, who had 18 saves for the Diamondbacks before being acquired July 9 in the wake of Kimbrel’s injury.
Farrell said he “can’t tell you at this point how much time Koji will miss”. He’s most efficient – most effective – with a clean inning.
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Indeed, Farrell has been consistent with his usage of Uehara is such situations. “A four-run lead at home, that’s the reason to go to him in that spot”.
